'Check^On123' Wins $1 Million at PokerStars

Check^On123 is the latest PokerStars millionaire. Here's the science behind a shock like that.

On the afternoon of May 9, a German poker player going by the alias of “Check^On123” sat down at a $100 Spin and Go tournament at PokerStars. It turned out to be the best decision of his career.

When “Dzeferin0” and “Woroms444” joined Check^On123 in the $100 Spin and Go, the multiplier span and eventually settled on the magical 10,000 meaning the prize pool weighed in at a staggering $1.2 million! Second and third place would bag themselves $100,000 but the eventual champion's PokerStars balance would be boosted by seven figures.

Woroms444 was the first casualty of the final table, falling at the hands of Check^On123, and setting up what was essentially a $900,000 heads-up match.

The final hand was befitting of the occasion and was, as the cool kids say, sick. All of the chips went into the middle of the virtual felt with the flop reading , Check^On123 holding and Dzeferin0 holding .

Check^On123 was ahead with his two pair, but thanks to holding a pair and an open-ended straight flush draw, Dzeferin0 was a 58.18 percent favorite to win the hand and double.

Waiting for the turn and the river to fall must have felt like an eternity for Check^On123, but it was worth the wait because his hand remained the best. He is the latest poker player to be made into a millionaire by PokerStars.

PokerStars hopes to make another nine of its players millionaires before the PokerStars Makes Millionaires promotion ends in June. Two more PokerStars players will become millionaires by playing Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) events as a brace of these tournaments guarantee a $1 million prize to their champion and the online poker giant is hoping the Spin & Go jackpot will be hit again.

“We are halfway into our PokerStars Makes Millionaires promotion and we’re pleased to announce that yet another millionaire has been created,” said PokerStars’ Director of Poker Marketing Vadim Soloveychik. We’re well on our way to producing 10 millionaires by June 4. This is the perfect illustration of PokerStars’ ability to provide the ultimate poker offering and experience. We’re the only online poker room that can give such big winning moments in such a short space of time.”

Check^On123’s Reaction to Winning a Million Dollars

How your body reacts to winning $1 million

In late April, PokerStars commissioned Marcie Ferros, a psychological therapist who has worked with some of the world’s biggest reality television shows, to write a blog article about how the human body reacts to the shock of a life-changing moment.

Winning a million dollars would be a massive shock to your system, although admittedly a pleasurable one, so your body automatically reacts to protect itself. Within seconds of realizing he had become the latest PokerStars millionaire, Check^On123 would have felt a sudden tension in his muscles, particularly in his neck, and possibly sat bolt upright.

Check^On123’s pupils would have dilated and his eyebrows raised to high arches as to allow more light into the eyes to prepare him to fight, flight or freeze, a natural human response. The fight, flight or freeze response “allows you to respond to the situation without the delay of thinking about what to do,” explained Ferros.

Heart rate increases to prepare the body to respond

Next, Check^On123’s heart rate would have increased due to a significant boost of adrenaline. Designed to ready the body for action, the adrenaline boost also increases the heart rate so more blood is pumped to muscles on the off chance he needs to react quickly.

Finally, Check^On123 may have felt the hairs on his skin stand up and his core body temperature rise thanks to the physiological changes mentioned above. All of these changes to Check^On123’s body would have happened within a fraction of a second and could have subsided equally as fast.

Become a Poker Millionaire

If you want the opportunity to become a millionaire, and let’s face it, we all do, download PokerStars via PokerNews, enter the marketing code “PNEWS” when creating your account, then the bonus code “STARS600” when making your first deposit and you will receive a 100 percent up to $600 first deposit bonus.

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